U.S. pays Blackwater $320 million for secret "global security" program

[marmar]

Mercenary Jackpot

Jeremy Scahill

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Researcher Garrett Ordower contributed to this story.

While the Bush Administration calls for the immediate disbanding of what it has labeled "private" and "illegal" militias in Lebanon and Iraq, it is pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into its own global private mercenary army tasked with protecting US officials and institutions overseas. The secretive program, which spans at least twenty-seven countries, has been an incredible jackpot for one heavily Republican-connected firm in particular: Blackwater USA. Government records recently obtained by The Nation reveal that the Bush Administration has paid Blackwater more than $320 million since June 2004 to provide "diplomatic security" services globally. The massive contract is the largest known to have been awarded to Blackwater to date and reveals how the Administration has elevated a once-fledgling security firm into a major profiteer in the "war on terror."

Blackwater's highly lucrative "diplomatic security" contract was officially awarded under the State Department's little-known Worldwide Personal Protective Service (WPPS) program, described in State Department documents as a government initiative to protect US officials as well as "certain foreign government high level officials whenever the need arises."

A heavily redacted 2005 government audit of Blackwater's WPPS contract proposal, obtained by The Nation, reveals that Blackwater included profit in its overhead and its total costs, which would result "not only in a duplication of profit but a pyramiding of profit since in effect Blackwater is applying profit to profit." The audit also found that the company tried to inflate its profits by representing different Blackwater divisions as wholly separate companies.

The rest is at: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060828/scahill

[harlinchi]

1. And I thought 'diplomatic security' was a function of the USMC! n/t

[marmar]

5. Ha! Not in Bushworld.

:scared:

[Rex]

2. That's over three times as much as Iran gives Hezbollah in Lebanon.

So is this how we will fight future wars? No more volunteer military, mercs mercs mercs!

Now all they have to do is invent giant robots and this will feel like a bad game of Mechwarriors. Wanna be your own boss? Wanna make a lot of money?

[seemslikeadream]

3. Dogs of War - Mercenaries - Blood Money

[Vinnie From Indy]

4. The only thing missing is the "Skull" insignia on their caps.

The SS started out as a private army tasked with protecting the "party".

[anotherdrew]

6. this should be grounds for impeachment we have a military for this

not some unaccountable mercenary dicks

[Lars39]

7. 27 countries

I bet Blackwater runs security for the secret US prisons scattered around the globe.

[marmar]

17. I'm sure of it...

and why is it always Blackwater? I bet there's a Pandora's Box of horrors underneath all of this.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Maine-ah]

21. LOL, oh, I have read all of your posts at this point

welcome, and enjoy your...um...... stay.

[RCinBrooklyn]

8. Scary. A mercenary army beholden to the boss as opposed to the people.

[EFerrari]

9. This is insane and likely, illegal. What are we paying for?

Who has oversight -- anyone?

I'm bookmarking this to start an action thread in GD if no one else wants to. I want my Senators to explain to me why this is happening without a peep from the Senate.

These bastards.

[marmar]

10. These bastards indeed.

I agree that this is likely illegal. And if the Senate "oversight" committee lets this go unchecked, then we truly have reached despotism, and it's going to take a massive mobilization of the people to bring this shit to a halt.

[EFerrari]

12. What do you think of an action thread? It's August and all, lol

But maybe we could devise one for GD. Gawd, when you think of what those funds -- the WE need so much -- are likely paying for, it's enough to explode your head.

[marmar]

13. Absolutely....

Were you thinking about a "call-your-congressperson or senator" type thread?

[EFerrari]

14. Something like that. Or, maybe, send a piece of mail.

But I'm thinking Tuesday. It is August, so Fri/Mon are even more useless than usual.

I'll be happy to post the OP Tues early and if I may, I'll pm you when it's up.

:hi:

[marmar]

15. D'accord. Tres bien.

Go for it! :hi:

[KansDem]

11. Considering how much Bush relies on "diplomacy," we got rooked!

Bush Administration has paid Blackwater more than $320 million since June 2004 to provide "diplomatic security" services globally

Perhaps they meant to say provides security to Bush's corporate cronies who go overseas to divie up the spoils of illegal war...

[bonito]

16. Kick n/t

[mom cat]

19. Be very,very afraid.

I sure am.

[Raydawg1234]

20. "certain foreign government high level officials whenever the need arises"

Are they giving the Saudi leaders a mercenary force?

[Doremus]

22. Shrub's private militia. Does everyone feel safer now? n/t

[donkeyotay]

23. I once read that privatizing defense was Cheney's idea

Another one of those things that would have been debated had we actually been living in a free country. A private military is even less accountable, and defense should not be a for-profit enterprise.

[tanyev]

24. Jack-booted thugs don't come cheap.

[marmar]

25. LOL...

:evilgrin:

[Ouabache]

26. Maybe asshat* could escalate his 'war on kleptocracy' here

see this, too ironic---
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2449062